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SGI Shatters Linux Scalability Records Yet Again With 1,024 Processors Running Under Single Copy of Linux

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Silicon
Graphics (OTC: SGIDE) today announced another high-performance computing
(HPC) first: the world's largest computer to operate under a single copy of
the Linux(R) OS.

On its powerful and acclaimed SGI(R) Altix(R) 4700 blade platform and a
beta version of SUSE(R) Linux Enterprise Server 10 from Novell, SGI
demonstrated a single system image (SSI) running on a world-record 1,024
processors. Until that moment, the largest Linux SSI operated on 512
processors -- another SGI record.

SGI heralded the achievement as the world's top HPC innovators arrive
in Dresden, Germany for the 21st International Supercomputing Conference.

"Since first introducing the SGI Altix platform in 2003, SGI time and
again has demonstrated its unique ability to support high-end workloads on
Linux by setting remarkable scalability records," said Dave Parry, senior
vice president and product general manager, SGI. "At the time SGI first
demonstrated its Altix server line, it was commonly believed that Linux
could not scale beyond 16 processors. Today, SGI proves once again that it
can confound the expectations of an entire industry in ways that benefit
HPC users worldwide."

"Once again, SUSE Linux Enterprise proves itself as a technical leader
in the market, this time in the area of Linux scalability," said Roger
Levy, Novell vice president and general manager of Open Platform Solutions.
"Novell and SGI continue to reset expectations of what the world can expect
from an industry-standard, enterprise-class Linux platform. As the system
requirements for high-performance computing continue to grow more complex,
only SUSE Linux Enterprise can scale to meet those business needs."

The record-breaking Altix 4700 system is now installed in Munich,
Germany, at the Leibniz Computing Centre Munich (LRZ). LRZ houses Germany's
National Supercomputer System, and the Altix 4700 installation marked the
completion of LRZ's Phase I deployment, which incorporates 4,096 Intel(R)
Itanium(R) 2 processors, 17TB of global shared memory, and a 330TB SGI
InfiniteStorage solution.

The LRZ system, known as HLRB II, operates all 4,096 processors as a
unified platform that enables applications to directly address all 17TB of
memory.

"LRZ is excited to deploy a system architecture that will give us not
only a powerful new HPC engine, but one that offers the freedom to explore
system configurations at the true leading edge of SSI partitioning," said
Dr. Matthias Brehm, head of the HPC Group at LRZ. "The Altix architecture
offers a unique opportunity to run both shared-memory, pure MPI tasks and
hybrid codes."

Though LRZ will initially operate the system in 256-processor
partitions, HLRB-II administrators plan to move to 512-processor partitions
in the next phase of installation.

"We are also interested in moving to the 1,024-processor SSI boundary
to extend this capability later, as soon as our users express a demand for
it," Dr. Brehm said. Larger partitions will allow HLRB-II administrators to
experience faster runtimes and more streamlined administration, while users
will benefit from reduced code development. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9
from Novell currently supports SSIs of up to 512 processors.

Even as SGI pushes system sizes to new heights, the company is also is
bringing new levels of RAS (reliability, availability and serviceability)
to high-end Linux environments. SGI's RAS efforts leverage its unique
experience in building the world's largest and most robust server systems
combined with focused investments on such features as memory error
recovery. RAS is increasingly important to enterprise users facing more
complex and data-intensive workloads than ever before.

For more information about SGI Altix 4700 systems or SGI's leadership
in driving the 64-bit Linux revolution, visit: http://www.sgi.com/altix.

SILICON GRAPHICS | The Source of Innovation and Discovery(TM)

SGI, also known as Silicon Graphics, Inc. (OTC: SGIDE), is a leader in
high-performance computing. SGI helps customers solve their computing
challenges, whether it's sharing images to aid in brain surgery, designing
and manufacturing safer and more efficient cars and airplanes, studying
global climate, providing technologies for homeland security and defense,
enabling the transition from analog to digital broadcasting, or helping
enterprises manage large data. With offices worldwide, the company is
headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and can be found on the Web at
http://www.sgi.com.

NOTE: Silicon Graphics, SGI, Altix, the SGI cube and the SGI logo are
registered trademarks, and The Source of Innovation and Discovery is a
trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc., in the United States and/or other
countries worldwide. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in
several countries. Intel and Itanium are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States
and other countries. Novell and SUSE are registered trademarks of Novell,
Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks
mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. sgi.com